'Twas a week before Christmas

With less than a week to go before Christmas these creatures are barely stirring. 

(Vic's coming around though, recovering from a wicked case of what she's been calling the flu (does H1N1 sound right?), finally perusing her most visited blogs in other than a prone position,

and me and Stella stacking zzz's, while Gene stares at some strange sounding black and grey and white folks on the flat screen for the longest time.)

(And he seems to know just what to say, to no one in particular - like Merry Christmas, Mr. Scrooge!...

...In keeping with the situation! What-ever!)